For centuries the Bible has been unrivaled in its impact and influence all over the world. In his new collection of plays, Giants of the Old Testament (New Concept Press/ June 1, 2001), acclaimed playwright Norman Beim presents these epic tales from a modern point of view, making them even more relevant by delivering these magnificent dramas with Shavian wit.Beim is the author of over 50 full-length plays, which have been performed all over the world. He is also a distinguished stage actor who has appeared in Broadway productions like Inherit the Wind and Off-Broadway alongside Morgan Freeman at the New York Public Theatre. He has combined his extensive theatre background with his deep understanding of the Jewish experience to craft the six original plays in Giants of the Old Testament.In The Prince Who Ate in the Morning, a young Moses, raised as an Egyptian, is kept ignorant of his Hebrew heritage by his adoptive mother, the Egyptian princess. When he learns of his true ancestry he is torn between his loyalty to Egypt and his empathy for his enslaved brethren. Family relations are ripped apart, and in a fit of rage, Moses murders an Egyptian overseer. Though he must flee the country, we have a sense that he will return to fulfill his destiny.In the domestic comedy Lost in Midian, Moses copes ineptly with the follies and woes of family life. Deepening relations and newfound trust lead to revelations of the past misdeed and the heaven sent directive to free his people.King of the Israelites tells the tale of King Saul, whose fondness for David, a young shepherd, quickly turns to envy after the young man heroically slays Goliath. The jealousy deepens as David growsmore popular. When the young man is named heir to the throne by Samuel, the high priest, the king's venom knows no bounds and after his death the country is left on the brink of civil war.Looking at the Stars deals with King David's adulterous affair with the beautiful matron Bathsheba and culminates in David conspiring to murder his lover's husband, the captain Uriah. Because of this crime, he is not allowed to fulfill his lifelong dream of building a great temple.A Serpent's Tooth constructs the conflict between King David and his ambitious offspring Absalom. Betrayal and revolution ends with Solomon being named as David's successor.The final play in the collection, Queen of Persia, is based on the book of Esther. Ahasuerus, King of Persia, is persuaded by his Prime Minister, Haman, to order the extinction of all the Jews in the kingdom. Yet the king is unaware that his new bride, the lovely Esther, is actually Jewish. Her secret and the uncovering of a plot to murder the king unfold as the decree begins to circulate through the land. How the king responds to the shocking revelations about his beloved wife and his fanatic prime minister is told with suspense and irony.The six plays in Giants of the Old Testament, each brewing with a powerful mixture of intrigue, comedy, vengeance and redemption, collectively evoke -- with forceful modernity and seamless clarity -- the timeless struggle to understand the nature of humanity, as well as the ongoing effort in these cynical contemporary times to improve our ties to each other -- from family relations to relationships across cultural, racial and religious lines.